HOUSE HISTORY
High on a grassy knoll overlooking Lake Glenville sits Brenda and Terry Beye's home inspired by the old chateaus of southern France and northern Italy. From dawn’s first light over Glassy Rock to the east to halcyon sunsets over the lake to the west, this 42-acre estate is awash in a natural, personal and cultural history as unique as the story of the lake itself.
The property was originally part of the Monteith Homestead, which had been apportioned to the family’s heirs so that each received a plot not of the same size, but with the same number of natural springs. Old logging trails from the early 1900s crisscross the property and have been connected by a series of new paths that wind through the forest, showcasing the bountiful flora and fauna that also call this place home. Visitors to the Showhouse can wander the groves of native Flame Azaleas, Trillium, Turk’s caps, Galax and Jack-in-the pulpit as red-tailed hawks, owls, and pileated woodpeckers alight overhead.
Historic buildings on the property center on the white, 6-room Monteith farmhouse and include a barn, a tractor shed, a chicken coop and a stone and wood Spring House that maintains a delightfully cool temperature year-round, leading to its use as a wine cellar.
At the center of this stunning landscape sits the Main House and its companion Carriage House, designed by the Beyes with the assistance of architect George Storrs and built by Hub Powell of Rosman in 2001 and 1998, respectively.
The home is a careful balance between historical charm and modern convenience. Visibly thick and stained exterior walls act as a buffer against the elements while still recalling the European countryside aesthetic that inspired it. Inside, the hand-cut, patterned, and inlaid marble floors crafted by Brenda Beye, stay cool in the summer but have been augmented with underfloor heating for cold mountain winters. Balconies off the upstairs office and bedroom afford visitors with grand views over the lake, while high ceilings, hidden doors, and a heavy dose of old hardware round out the stylishly rustic yet thoroughly modern living spaces.
